Public Statements

Blog: Dear Senator: Answering Your Questions

Statement

Our office receives thousands of pieces of mail each week from Arkansans just like you who want to express their opinions about the issues facing our country. I depend on hearing from you in order to best represent our state. I want to share answers to some of the questions we've heard from Arkansans recently.

How can President Obama continue to delay aspects of Obamacare? -Patrick, Searcy

The Obama administration announced that it will, yet again, delay Obamacare's minimum coverage requirements for health plans offered by insurance companies to avoid another wave of cancellations this fall. This is a recurrent theme by the President who has arbitrarily changed who has to follow the law and when. This illustrates that the law doesn't work. The President doesn't have the authority to make these changes without the consent of Congress. Unfortunately, President Obama pushes forward, and the need for the Supreme Court to take up these issues within the judicial branch is imperative. I remain committed to repealing and replacing this terrible law. We need a healthcare system that provides access and is affordable. Obamacare's 20,000 pages of regulation, $1 trillion tax hike and higher premiums and copays don't provide that.

What are you doing to protect democracy in the Ukraine? -- Chris, Little Rock

I strongly disapprove of Russia's aggression toward Ukraine. Russia invaded a sovereign country in clear violation of international law. As an important strategic ally to the U.S., Ukraine is looking to us for leadership. Joining efforts with the international community, we need to provide assistance and send a strong message that Russia's actions are unacceptable. If we do not, it will embolden Russia and other regimes hostile to the U.S. like Syria, Iran and North Korea to adopt a more aggressive foreign policy, which may threaten the national security of the U.S. and our allies. Here in the Senate, I joined a bipartisan group of Senators to introduce a resolution that condemns the Russian military siege of Crimea, calling for a withdrawal of those troops, and a negotiated settlement to any concerns regarding the Crimea. It also urges the administration and European Union to use a range of economic and diplomatic leverage against Russia should it fail to abide by these basic international norms.

I am concerned about the proposed cuts to our military because it will reduce the size of our Armed Forces and put our country at greater risk. Do you agree with the Secretary of Defense's plan? -- David, Siloam Springs

I have very serious concerns about the extreme nature of these proposed cuts and the lack of analysis on what we need in order to maintain a military ready to protect our nation. We live in a dangerous world and the federal government's major role is to defend our country and its interests. We need the appropriate military force to continue this constitutional requirement. Making significant cutbacks will hurt us if we discover that our military is not equipped to deal with future challenges. This will cost us more to rebuild the military we need than if we adjusted what we currently have in a thoughtful way.

If you have any questions please don't hesitate to reach out to our office or visit our website Boozman.senate.gov.